Barbed wire



(No Model.)

. J. D.,GURTIS.

BARBB'D WIRE. No. 470,747. Patented Mar. 15, 1892.

. UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN D. CURTIS, OF VORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

BARBED WIRE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 470,74*?, dated March 15, 1892.

Application filed August 26, 1891. Serial No. 403,784- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat I, JOHN D. CURTIS, a citizen 4of the United States, residing at NVorcester, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Barbed Vire; and I 393,846, led May 23,1891, for improvements in the manufacture of barbed fence-wire.

The object of my invention is to improve upon the construction of barbed wire as now ordinarily made, and more particularly of the wire barbs, combined with the wire fencestrands in the manner set forth in my application above referred to.

In my improved barbed wire I employ for t'ne barbs a wire non-circular in cross-section throughout its length and preferably a halfround'wire that is rounded on one side and fiat on the other side. Said barbs are attached to the fencing by ceiling them once around one of the strands with the fiat side of the barb against the strand. The projecting points of the barb thus attached to the fencing are twisted toward eachother in a direction at right angles to the axis of the barb. A quarter turn or twist is given to each projecting point. of the barb. The twist given to the points of the barb will cause the edges of the barb to entend in a vertical plane substantially at right angles to thel length of the fencing.

In the manufacture of barbed wire or fencing provided with wire barbs it is desirable to save on the amount of the material used for the barbs as much as possible, so as to reduce the weight and also the cost of the fencing to the user and at the same time to provide a wire barb which will not become loose on the fencing and which will have. strong projecting points or prongs to resist the pressure against them.

In my improved barbed wire by making the barbs from half-round wire I save onehalf of the material used in barbs made from 4 turn or twist to the ends, as above described,

I stiften the coil of the barb and attach the barb firmly to the strand and prevent it from becoming loose 'by the coil thereof being opened vor spread apart, and, further, I cause the edges of the barb-points to be presented to resist pressure or bending.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l is a section of my improved barbed wire. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one of the barbs detached. Fig'. 3 is a detail view of the barb shown in Fig. 1 before the same is attached to the wire strands, showing a top view, a bottom View, and a cross-section of the barb made from half-round wire. Fig. 4 is a section of a modification of the barbed wire shown in Fig. l, a barb made from flat wire instead of from half-round wire being used.

In the accompanying drawings, l and 2-are the main strands of the fencing twisted together in the ordinary way, and 3 is the barb coiled on one of the strands and having two projecting points. It will be understood that the barb is coiled on one of the strands before the strands are twisted together. The barb 3 is made from half-round wire and has one side rounded and the other side dat for its entire length (see Fig. 3) and its ends pointed.

The barb 3 is attached to one of the strands of the fencing by having its central portion coiled once around one of the strands, the flat side of the barb being against the strand, and the projecting points of the barb are given a quarter turn or twist toward each other in a direction at right angles to the aXis of the barb. By the quarter turn or twist given to the points 3 of thebarb 3 the edges 3" of .the points will be presented and made toextend in a vertical plane substantially at right angles to the length of the fencing or the axis of the barb. (See Figs. l and 4.)

It will be seen that the twisting of the points of the barb as above described does not make them spiral, but causes them to extend out in a straight line substantially at right angles to the length of the fencing.

I have shown in Fig. 4 a modified construc- IOO tion of the barb shown in Figs. l, 2, and 3. The barb 4 shown in Fig. 4 is made from dat wire instead of from half-round Wire and has both its top surface and under surface dat, as shown. I prefer to use barbs made from half-round wire; but I may use barbs made from flat wire or wire non-circular in crosssection in carrying out my invention, the essential feature of which is the twisting of the projecting points of the barbs, as above de scribed.

The advantages of my improvement in barbed wire will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with a strand of wire fencing, of a wire barb non-circular in crosssection throughout its length and coiled atits central portion around the strand and having its ends turned or twisted, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with a strand of wire fencing, of a two-pointed wire barb made from a non-circular Wire and coiled at its cen tral portion once around the strand, with its projecting points having a quarter turn or twist in a direction at right angles to the axis of the barb, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with a strand of wire fencing, of a Wire barb made from half-round 

